Realm Management examples

[Christopher R. Rice]

Some really great examples in this thread so far. Thanks, y'all!

Originally Posted by James P

How DARE you? I almost feel like not thanking you, for the work you do!

Thank you, for the work.

Heh. Most welcome. It was useful material, but not as useful as other stuff.

Originally Posted by Haseri

Let's hope this does well enough for follow-ups then!

I really hope so too. :-)

[ericthered]

Centrum

Name: Centrum
Total Area: 10 planets
Realm Size Value: +27 (Inter-Planetary)
Resource Points: Not Listed!
Resource Point Base Value: $9.4 billion
TL: 9
Cultural Traits: None
Realm Inhabitant Racial Traits: None
Population: 1.5 Billion
Citizen Loyalty: Good (14, +3)
Infrastructure Rating: 4 for centrum itself, 2 in the outlying worlds
Control Rating: 5
Conformity Rating: 4
Openness Rating: 0
Government Type: Meritocracy
Economy Type: Communism
Defense Bonus and Terrain: 0
Education Rating: 6
Management Skill (+20%): 14
Habitability: Poor (7, -1) for centrum itself, Neutral (10, +0) otherwise
Reaction-Time Modifier: +0 (-1 tech, +1 reaction time)
Realm Enhancements (+60%): Advanced/Loose Infrastructure +0%**, Conventional Populace 1 +5%, educated populace 1 +5%, Advanced TL +10% (biowarefare, cliodynamics), Loyal Citizenry 1 +15%, Higher Quality of Life 1 +25%
Realm Limitations (-15%): chauvinistic population 2 -10%, Low habitability(half) -5%
Social Resonance: 0*
Patron Value: 30 points
Enemy Value: -40 points
Base Realm Value: $6.48 Trillion
Realm Value: $9.4 Trillion
Military Resources: $648 Billion/turn
Revenue: $1.94 Trillion/turn
Starting Revenue: $94 billion
Inhabitants’ Status: 1 to 7
Inhabitants’ Wealth: Comfortable to MM3

*(but that's only because no one knows who they are)
** Centrum is weird because everyone lives in a rebuilt post-apocalyptic wasteland instead of on the empty worlds they own.



I think this is mostly right. Anyone know where I've made mistakes.



I've included empty worlds exploited for natural resources as part of Centrum's size, but not world's they are trying to take over... those would be their own realms, or even have multiple realms each.

[awesomenessofme1]

Here's a planet that will be the starting location for a space fantasy game that I'm starting in the very near future.

Zel Ana

Zel Ana is a small planet primarily covered in ocean, with only one major landmass. The vast majority of the population lives in a single megalopolis surrounded by vast swathes of farmland. Formal law is all but nonexistent on the planet. All drugs are unrestricted, and the only prohibited weapons are WMDs like nukes and weaponized viruses. Slavery is nominally illegal, but this is largely only for diplomatic reasons, and “indentured servitude” is widely practiced. Gambling is unrestricted; anything can be bet and anything can be the subject of betting, including bloodsports. The very limited taxation and few restrictions on behavior attracts a certain crowd. In Zel Ana City, you can find staggering wealth and decadence, grinding poverty and exploitation, and everything in between. The leadership (if you can call it that) of Zel Ana is a loose coalition of extremely wealthy individuals colloquially called “the barons”, who get their wealth through such means as owning large amounts of the planet’s farmland, operating high-end casinos, and providing private security.

Name: Zel Ana
Total Area: 8 million square miles
Realm Size Value: +22 (Planet)
Resource Points: 25 (10 Agriculture Points, 3 Workforce Points, 4 Natural Resource Points, 8 Luxury/Precious Resource Points)
TL: 10^
Cultural Traits: None
Realm Inhabitant Racial Traits (+3%): 70% human, near-human, gettaran, or kiddek [0], 18% lasiz drone [40], 8% ruuko [60], 3% zinarai [50], 1% avkan [70]
Population: 89,000,000
Citizen Loyalty: Poor (9, -1)
Infrastructure Rating: 4
Control Rating: 1
Conformity Rating: 2
Openness Rating: 3
Government Type: Plutocracy
Economy Type: Capitalism
Defense Bonus and Terrain: 0
Education Rating: 5
Management Skill (+20%): 16
Habitability: 12 (Average)
Reaction-Time Modifier: -2
Realm Enhancements (+53%): Advanced Infrastructure 1 (+25%), Appearance (Beautiful/Unattractive; +8%), Reflexive Realm 4 (+20%)
Realm Limitations (-70%): Corrupt 2 (-20%), Disloyal Citizenry (-15%), Hated 1 (-5%), Loose Society 2 (-30%)
Social Resonance: -1
Patron Value: 25 points
Enemy Value: -40 points
Base Realm Value: $299 billion
Realm Value: $317 billion
Military Resources: $2.5 billion/turn
Revenue: $6 billion/turn
Starting Revenue: $3.2 billion
Inhabitants’ Status: -2 to 6
Inhabitants’ Wealth: Poor to Multimillionaire 4
Notes: Starting Resource Points cost $37.4 billion (not included in Realm Value).

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

Zel Ana

Realm Enhancements (+53%): Advanced Infrastructure 1 (+25%), Appearance (Beautiful/Unattractive; +8%), Reflexive Realm 4 (+20%)
Realm Limitations (-70%): Corrupt 2 (-20%), Disloyal Citizenry (-15%), Hated 1 (-5%), Loose Society 2 (-30%)

Base Realm Value: $299 billion
Realm Value: $317 billion

Notes: Starting Resource Points cost $37.4 billion (not included in Realm Value).

I think the realm value is off. Base Value is correct, but Realm Value should be 83% of that, or $248 billion (rather than 117%). the starting resources then cost 31 million.



Its fun to see a place with CR1 and billions of dollars of military... though I suppose it really isn't that much among millions of people.



Infrastructure 4 looks really high for a whole planet with only 89 million people. Yeah, it's only got a fifth of earth's area, but those numbers are still sparser than Russia.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Infrastructure 4 looks really high for a whole planet with only 89 million people. Yeah, it's only got a fifth of earth's area, but those numbers are still sparser than Russia.

Remember, most people live in a single city. Like Iceland.

[awesomenessofme1]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I think the realm value is off. Base Value is correct, but Realm Value should be 83% of that, or $248 billion (rather than 117%). the starting resources then cost 31 million.

You missed the modifiers from Realm Inhabitant Racial Traits and Management Skill. It adds up to (3+20+53-70)=+6%.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Infrastructure 4 looks really high for a whole planet with only 89 million people. Yeah, it's only got a fifth of earth's area, but those numbers are still sparser than Russia.

Like the other post said, the vast majority of the population is in one city. If you had to go out to the boonies for some reason, the infrastructure probably wouldn't be quite as good, but that's not enough of a limitation to call it split IR in my opinion.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

You missed the modifiers from Realm Inhabitant Racial Traits and Management Skill. It adds up to (3+20+53-70)=+6%.

oh, so there are more places that realm value changes can be written. That's good to know and to point out, as most changes show up as realm enhancements or limitations.

Like the other post said, the vast majority of the population is in one city. If you had to go out to the boonies for some reason, the infrastructure probably wouldn't be quite as good, but that's not enough of a limitation to call it split IR in my opinion.

But then are we doing the realm as the city or as the planet? This shows up with Centrum as well (where I used split IR), and I suspect its going to be a common situation: a well developed hub and a huge and mostly untouched hinterland.



I suppose another question is if untouched hinterland really counts as part of a realm. Should 1790 Louisianna really count south dakota as part of its realm size? at what point does it switch over?

[SolemnGolem]

Do lenses count?

If so, here's a Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri faction state: the Human Hive, led by Chairman Yang Shengji, clocking in at [+119%] of usual realm cost for a "standard" TL9 outworld colonizing state. There is no canon data for the actual size of this nation state (since it's from a 4X computer game) but it definitely could count as a lens for applying to a given population level and nation size.

The Alpha Centauri handbook describes it as militaristic (though the game mechanics do not follow this). In game, it's a brutal serfdom economy, with private enterprise largely quashed and pervasive police oversight. It performs highly in building things industrially but its economic performance is sluggish. In later game versions, it could not go below a certain baseline efficiency, although its favored social engineering choices (Police State and Planned) usually meant it rarely improved above baseline either.

Loyalty Rating: Normal (10, +2 with CR, below).
Infrastructure Rating: Average (IR3)
Control Rating: CR 5, gives +2 to resist Influence rolls (for effective 12) from Secure Society 2.
Conformity +4%: ConR 5
Openness Rating: OR 0
Government type: Autocracy: Management +1; leader has Megalomania
Economic system: Communism: After gaining Workforce Point, roll (ConR+5) or less to gain an additional point.
Management: Usual level: Management-12
Usually Reliable Management: +25% (rigid procedural dogma means functions do not fall below a baseline) re-roll critical failures (or failures by 10 MOF) twice.
Reaction Time Modifier: TL9 and Management-12 cancel each other out for +0
Social Resonance: -2.
Enhancements:

• Able Populace (+25%): whenever Workforce Points gained, immediately gain another one.
• Defensible Terrain (+40%): underground bunkers give +4 defense bonus.
• Reduced Consumption 1 (+25%): During famine, can survive on 1 fewer Agriculture Point than usual.
• Secure Society (+20%): CR +2

Limitations:

• Hated (-10%): other factions usually dislike both its politics and its economics for -2 Social Resonance total.
• Chauvinistic (-5%): OR 0: mollify/assist other realm at -2.
• Hard Power Oriented (-5%): -2 to all maneuvers when unable to use its military in dealings with other realms.

[Michele]

NAME: The Kingdom
Total Area: 20,000 sqm
Realm Size Value: +13
Resource Points: 10 +1d (5 Agriculture Points, 0 Luxury/Precious Goods Points, 4 Natural Resource Points, 1 +1d Workforce Points) §
TL: 3
Cultural Traits: None
Realm Inhabitant Racial Traits: None
Population: 150,000
Citizen Loyalty: Neutral (10; +2) *
Infrastructure Rating: 2 †
Control Rating: 5
Conformity Rating: 3
Openness Rating: 3
Education Rating: 1
Government Type: Feudal
Economy Type: Traditional
Defense Bonus and Terrain: 1; Mixed
Management Skill (-5%): 11
Habitability: Neutral (10)
Reaction Time Modifier: +7
Realm Enhancements (+0%): None
Realm Limitations (-35%): Corrupt 1 (-10%); Obsolete Infrastructure 1 (-25%)
Social Resonance: 0
Patron Value: 20
Enemy Value: -30
Realm Value: $37,800,000
Starting RP Cost: $3,150,000
Military Resources: $10,500,000/turn ‡
Revenue: $18,900,000/turn
Starting Revenue: $378,000
Inhabitants’ Status: -3 to 6
Inhabitant’s Wealth: Dead Broke to Filthy Rich
Notes: apart from the occasional infighting among nobles that is included in the Feudal government type, about three quarters of the military budget actually represent the noble families’ obligations to provide whole military units, and a similar obligation of chartered cities (which mostly provide naval units). The King can safely rely on those figures and order those troops around smoothly only when there are no internal problems at all. Details are left to the GM.

The Kingdom is a quite typical feudal realm. Occupying a large island, most of its territory is underpopulated, with the inhabitants spread out over the fertile parts of the countryside, while there are also wide nearly empty swaths of heath, forests and craggy hills. Cities are mostly seaports. The economy is barely above subsistence levels, and being of a Traditional type, much of the revenue is channeled into luxury goods for the court and the noblemen. Over the past few decades, the Kingdom has been plagued by recurring civil wars, which have caused feuds among noble families and grievously damaged its infrastructures (which are thus in bad repair, whence Obsolete Infrastructure 1). Many nobles dislike supporting a central government that may curb their privileges, so they siphon off resources whenever they can (thus Corrupt 1). The King has a sort of court council, plus sheriffs and taxmen, but many of these are corruptible too, and often not skilled enough. Therefore, the Kingdom is typically slow and inefficient in its decision-making.
The cities, with their rising merchant class, chafe at having to pay a disproportionate share of taxes when the government does so little for them; the largest segment of the population are the serfs, but they know no better than their forefathers’ harsh life, toiling on their masters’ lands.
There is only a handful of foreign powers this realm is in contact with, and it has neither a particularly good or bad reputation with them.

* Includes +2 from CR5.
† Includes -1 from Obsolete Infrastructure 1.
‡ Includes CR4 for military spending only, and +5% from Feudal government; occasionally Feudal government gives -30% instead.
§ Includes +1d Workforce Points from Traditional economy.

[Michele]

NAME: The Sanctuary Island
Total Area: 100 sqm
Realm Size Value: +7
Resource Points: 10 + 1d (3 Agriculture Points, 4 Luxury/Precious Goods Points, 2 Natural Resource Points, 1 +1d Workforce Points)*
TL: 3
Cultural Traits: Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) (-5%)
Realm Inhabitant Racial Traits: None
Population: 3,000
Citizen Loyalty: Good (14; +2) †
Infrastructure Rating: 3
Control Rating: 3
Conformity Rating: 3
Openness Rating: 2
Education Rating: 2
Government Type: Theocracy
Economy Type: Traditional
Defense Bonus and Terrain: 1; accessible island
Management Skill (+5%): 13
Habitability: Neutral (12)
Reaction Time Modifier: +6 ‡
Realm Enhancements (+24%): Admired 2 (+10%); Appearance (Attractive, Impressive) (+4%); Independent Revenue Stream 10 (+10%)
Realm Limitations (-29%): Inactive Realm 2 (-10%); Mothballed Military 2 (-4%); Soft-Power Oriented (-10%); Superstitious Populace (-5%)
Social Resonance: +2
Patron Value: 15
Enemy Value: -20
Realm Value: $1,197,000
Starting RP Cost: $63,000
Military Resources: $37,800
Revenue: $138,600 **
Starting Revenue: $11,970
Inhabitants’ Status: -2 to 3
Inhabitant’s Wealth: Struggling to Very Wealthy
Notes:Visitors and foreigners, when on the island, have to perform all the daily rituals that are second nature to the local believers. Believing in the local divinity isn’t necessary, but complying with forms is.

The Sanctuary Island is a small temple-with-realm. It is located on a small island, just off the coast of the much larger island that is the Kingdom’s territory. Relations between the two realms are good.
The temple is the one seat of the local religion, and a high sanctity place for the priests. The realm is admired abroad, particularly in the Kingdom, because the most gifted priests can actually perform minor healings by way of learned prayers. Fertility rites also often work. This is the source of the independent revenues: donations from the foreign pilgrims who come here to be healed.
Being admired and respected even by the Pirates means the small realm can make do without a real military or proactive policies.
In theory, the realm should be welcoming to pagans who come here to join the true religion, and anybody can seek refuge here from “unjust persecution”. But in practice the citizens aren’t all that open to newcomers. Being a theocracy comes with its drawbacks, of course, including the fact that the populace is rather superstitious.
A Traditional economy grants abundant workforce, but also turns most of the revenue into luxury goods; in the case of the Sanctuary Island, it’s religious items incorporating precious metals and gems. They could be considered as a savings account, but for the fact that the theocratic government would never countenance selling them, no matter what.
All in all, the Sanctuary Island is not a bad place to live in and could prosper indefinitely, provided nothing new comes along to upset it. An orcish raider flotilla out of nowhere, a spiteful demon, a comet followed by a pestilence, or a heresy could all do that.

* Includes +1d Workforce Points from Traditional economy.
† Includes +1 step from Traditional economy and +1 from CR3.
‡ Includes +2 from Inactive Realm 2.
§ Includes -10% from Mothballed Military 2.
** Includes +10% from Independent Revenue Stream 10.